2026 Recipients

Published: April 16, 2026
Born in Seoul, South Korea, and raised in Orange County, tenor Duke Kim made his LA Opera debut in 2024 as Roméo in Roméo et Juliette and returned earlier this season as Tony in West Side Story. His next LA Opera appearance will be in the title role of Candide later this year.

"Growing up in Orange County, I attended many performances at LA Opera," said Duke Kim. "Witnessing the extraordinary artists on that stage played a significant role in inspiring me to become a better artist. To now perform on that very stage feels deeply meaningful—a true full-circle moment. I am sincerely grateful for this award and for the steadfast support that Eva and Marc have shown to LA Opera and its artists. Their generosity continues to make a profound impact on LA Opera, as well as the arts and sciences across the nation. It is a great honor to receive an award that carries their name.”

His appearances this season include Roméo at both Semperoper Dresden and Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, Gennaro in Lucrezia Borgia with the Teatro de la Maestranza in Seville, a staged production of the Mozart Requiem with Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, and the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto at the Philharmonie de Paris with Le Cercle de l’Harmonie. Future engagements include a debut with the Canadian Opera Company as Nemorino in L'Elisir d'Amore and a return to the Metropolitan Opera as Ferrando in Così fan tutte. He made his Met debut in 2024 as Tamino in The Magic Flute. He is a second-place winner of Operalia (2022), second-place winner at the inaugural Juan Pons International Singing Competition (2022), a grand finals winner of the Metropolitan Opera's Laffont Competition (2021), and a recent graduate of the Cafritz Young Artist Program at Washington National Opera.

Learn more about Duke at DukeKimTenor.com.

Published: April 16, 2026
Soprano Kathleen O'Mara was a member of LA Opera's Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program from 2023 to 2025. After her critically acclaimed company debut in 2023 as Berta in The Barber of Seville, she was asked by the Metropolitan Opera to make her Met debut in the same role in 2025. Additional company appearances include the First Maid in The Dwarf in 2024 and a performance as guest soloist in a concert starring soprano Angel Blue. She will return to LA Opera in October as Micaëla in the season-opening new production of Carmen, her first leading role with the company.

"I am truly honored to receive the Marc and Eva Stern Artist Award," said Kathleen O'Mara. "My time as a young artist at LA Opera was deeply rewarding and exceeded my already high expectations. From the beginning, I was fortunate to be surrounded by an exceptional community of talented and inspiring artists, and I found an unexpected sense of connection and support among the people who make up LA Opera; it truly feels like my second home. The opportunities I was given and the knowledge I gained during my time in the program have been invaluable, and I will carry those experiences with me throughout my career. I am especially grateful for this award, as it reflects the continued support I feel even beyond my time as a Young Artist, and I sincerely thank Marc and Eva Stern for their generosity."

This season, she returned to the Metropolitan Opera as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni and as the First Lady in The Magic Flute. She also returned to Milan's La Scala to reprise Helmwige in Die Walküre and debuted with the Bavarian State Opera in Munich as the Fifth Maid in Elektra. In May, she will debut with Seattle Opera as Micaëla in Carmen. Future seasons include her Dallas Opera debut as Elsa in Lohengrin as well as debuts with the Santa Fe Opera and Barcelona Symphony. Last season, in addition to her Met debut, she debuted at La Scala as Helmwige in Die Walküre, at San Diego Opera in Mimì in La Bohème, and with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in excerpts from Carmen conducted by Gustavo Dudamel at the Hollywood Bowl. She was awarded first prize at the 2025 Queen Sonja Singing Competition and first prize and the Birgit Nilsson Prize at the 2024 Operalia Competition.

Learn more about Kathleen at KathleenOMaraSoprano.com.